Woman burns fat to become bodybuilding champ

Updated 10:18 am, Thursday, January 29, 2015

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

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Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 3 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 4 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 5 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 6 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 7 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 8 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 9 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 10 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 11 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 12 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 13 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 14 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 15 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 16 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 17 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

Image 18 of 19

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Galveston's Nichola Smiles turned her weight gain around to become a bodybuilding and fitness champion.

Photo: Nichola Smiles/Courtesy To The Houston Chronicle

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Woman burns fat to become bodybuilding champ

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A Sugar Land-area personal trainer is getting attention for her flabs-to-abs story of fitness.

When Nichola Smiles graduated from the University of Houston, she noticed her college days weren't the only thing she left behind. Her food intake awareness went straight out the door, too.

"I started seeing weight gains six to seven months after graduating," she said. "I wasn't being conscious of my eating habits."

Her life hit a nasty roadblock when she attended a friend's wedding in January 2008. While buying a bigger dress put her off, it was the pictures taken of her afterward that struck a chord.

Soon after, she started working out at home and then sought personal training under Dewayne Malone, of Houston's Against All Odds Fitness.

"She started at 180 pounds and I got her all the way down to 111," Malone said. "We did 30-minute full body workouts, two to three times a week. She was a single mom, I wanted to make sure she was in and out of the gym."

But to Smiles, it wasn't all about losing the weight so she could go to Miami with her girlfriends. She wanted to challenge herself, too, so when Malone approached her with an offer to compete in a bodybuilding show in Galveston, she accepted.

"She broke the top five, which doesn't really happen too often," he said.

"I didn't realize I'd be so involved," Smiles said. "I've done several shows since then and now I work with a lot of girls that compete for Musclemania, primarily as a posing coach"

Smiles still trains under Malone, but she's also a personal trainer in her own right. At first, it was just about inspiring happiness through fitness, but now that concept has evolved to include training services and packages.